St. Louis really is the complete getaway. There’s something for everyone in this bustling metropolis on the Mississippi River.

Once in St. Louis, you’ll find more free, major attractions than anyplace outside the nation’s capital. TravelSmart, the nation’s oldest consumer travel newsletter, named St. Louis one of its 10 Safest, Culturally Most Fascinating Cities in the U.S. for its diverse cultural and tourism activities.

This year, the Gateway Arch continues the celebration of its 40th anniversary. The great Arch has been the region’s international symbol since it opened in 1965 to honor President Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase. You can celebrate the anniversary by taking a tram ride to the top of the Arch, watching the heart-stopping movie about the monument’s construction on a giant screen and visiting the Museum of Westward Expansion – an underground museum below the Arch.

Beyond the Arch visitors will see a new energy in downtown St. Louis where $3.5 billion is being spent on public and private projects including new entertainment districts, casinos, loft condos and scores of new restaurants, retailers and hotels in renovated historic buildings. Outside downtown, growth continues at attractions in St. Louis City and St. Louis County where new sights are added on a regular basis.

For constantly updated information on new attractions, visit the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission’s Web site at www.ExploreStLouis.com.

Source: St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission
Photos courtesy of the St. Louis Covention & Visitors Commission